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It's easier to cook than apply make up

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

When men get older, they're considered distinguished whereas us womenfolk are.....well, older. When a woman stands her ground in the workplace, there's a negative connotation to it. In other words, she's bolshie or difficult but when a man is bossy, that's called being confident. Don't get me started on the pay disparity between the two sexes. It's just so unfair. Alright, rant over. Do men seriously know how complicated it is to be a woman? I'm talking about make up here just to be specific. If only they know how much work it takes to look beautiful. Let me tell you, it's a complicated process that takes years of practice, a roomful of products and many many minutes/hours just to slather all those different stuff on.

In a bid for eternal youth.....(just kidding), I've decided it's high time I learn a little about make up. My good friend, Christy who sadly has moved back home to China used to come over to my place armed with make up. There was a dizzying array of make up contraptions, tubes and pots along with a list of YouTube videos I had to watch. She made putting on make up look easy.

I've learned that there are make up brushes for contouring, blending, eyebrow, highlighting and......brushes for just about every part of your face. I felt like I was preparing for an art workshop learning how to paint like Monet. I nearly gave up watching a few minutes into these make up tutorials but I promised myself...persistence is the key. Yeah, great pep talk there. You don't just apply make up. You have to "prime" your face first. I know about prime beef steak but I had no idea the word refers to doing something to one's face. There's the primer, foundation, concealer, pressed powder, eye concealer, eye primer (not to be confused with the face primer) and that's before you even slap ANY make up on. For someone who's only ever owned one lipstick until earlier this year, this was beyond confusing and overwhelming. Just shoot me now. Seriously. Why are there so many frigging steps to make up application?

This is a photo of me after spending 15 soul destroying minutes trying to emulate the beautiful AND young Jen of From Head to Toe. Before you think, only 15 minutes? Yeah, that was just the EYES, my friends. I haven't even started on the rest of my face. Just in case you're interested, the video is called Everyday Monolid Makeup Tutorial for those of us who don't have double eyelids. Bet you can barely see my artistic work with my eyes wide open and hidden behind the glasses. It took an additional 5 minutes to smear on some concealer, eyebrow powder, lippy and blusher. Ladies, what's your make up routine like? What do you use? Am I the only person finding this whole makeup application thing daunting?

I used to wear a ton of makeup until my dermatologist forbade me. And my skin did improve after I quit that habit. Now I just apply concealer on my spots and dark circles, and if I'm really tired or disgusting-looking some fluid foundation before that (Chanel Vitalumière Aqua). And I finish the look off with mascara and lipstick, both from Guerlain. Voila!

You look so fresh faced you sure don't look your age! I love Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser, unfortunately I have dark inserts in the corner of my eyes, so need to wear concealer. Always wear mascara and define my eyebrows with some Bobbi Brown shadow, a bit of blush and some lipgloss. Only do my eyes properly when I am going out.....lazy. I love American brands such as Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and Nars their multiple is a great product.

Thank you! I think i'm on cloud 9 after reading all these comments. So thank you for the kind words. I've never thought of using tinted moisturizer. I still don't really like foundation so a tinted moisturizer may be a better option for me. I've stuck to Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and MAC but lately, I really like Urban Decay and BareMinerals too.

I agree... at least for me, it takes 15 minutes and a handful of products just to look decent (: I didn't really start using a full face until I studied abroad in Japan, though -- my schoolmates were putting on full, FULL faces everyday even just to attend class. So I did too -- every day for the 6 months I was there I wore BB cream + powder, blush, eye make and false lashes! Now that I'm back in the US I've fallen back to a more casual lifestyle with just concealer & very natural false lashes.

Marlene, you are already beautiful with lovely skin even without the make up :)!!!! My routine: I'm lazy and don't use/own make up products :p. I however, do try to look after my skin by religiously using face cream daily.

Aww...I could hug you. I'm equally lazy. I just don't see how I'm ever going to go through this whole primer, foundation, concealer, pressed powder ritual and then a face full of make up. Too much work.

Makeup is like cream on good Scottish strawberries - nice if you have it, but honestly isn't necessary. If I look a bit tired I'll slap on some BB cream and blusher, otherwise it's just filling in my brows to make them enormous and dark and a smudge of eyeliner on my upper lid.

I first received your post on my smartphone but HAD to answer you properly: do you, do WE really need to apply all the layers you enumerate to look beautiful? Ypu do look nice and pretty without make up on! Since I quit being semi professional ballet dancer I swear to never again apply what I did on my face and well I did survive well so far without being to ugly or monster face... And some mornings I do feel that I look younger without make up at all. I usually wear mascara, eye liner and/or khol, sometimes blush, sometimes lipstick. But never foundation (nothing to hide there) nor primer or whatever, should I dare, "shit" on my face. I'd rather have good looking natural skin than good looking made up skin. Well I am french and french do focus more on skin care than on my make as could be the american. I do like Jen from Head to toe (especially as a fellow petite) but well she is already pretty without make up so... You could use mascara, lipstick and blush if you need it but all the other stuff well are really extra lost of time in my opinion in your case.

I can just imagine how much make up you've got to have on when you're performing. Hahaha....couldn't agree more about the load of "shit" we've got to slap on our face. You're right. Most of my friends who are French hardly put on a lot of make up but they sure know their skincare.

Marlene, personally, I think you're a natural beauty who doesn't need all that make-up! I try to use only a few products. On a daily basis, I use BB cream, I shape my eyebrows, put on some eyeliner, mascara and sometimes some color on my cheeks and finish it with some lip balm and that's it... :)

I'd love to see what I actually look like after I've been "done" by someone else (not me - like you, I know little - infact I think I know less than you). When I've tried, I feel very un me and a little "tranny". It's just me not being used to the whole up thing I know rather than being heavy handed.

Sue, you've seen my skin up close. Pores, freckles....etc etc. The next time we catch up, we should go to a Bobbi Brown counter for you. Just for fun. I doubt either of us will ever get obsessed with make up.

I've done Bobbi Brown twice. Once in Selfridges in London over 10 years ago just before I got married - the most wonderful make up girl ever - I nearly paid her expenses to travel to my wedding hotel and do my makeup. Second time, Bobbi Brown in Leeds - I came out like a tomato. I'd like to try again though.

My wedding make up was done by a Bobbi Brown make up artist who went on to freelance. She popped my photo on her website and received tons of business only because I was the first AND only Asian client until then. She did a great job. I wish I didn't listen to her about mascara! Even girls with monolids can look vastly different with a swipe of mascara.

I started using at the age of 32 feeling that i'm late bloomer until i heard you know that you wear a lipstick only this year!:)

I have fond using lipstick eversince and only had a bare face until 2 or 3 yrs then others follow. Yes i used primer now and also watch some you tubes tutorials for some know how stuff. I want to achieve the make up no make up look for i think that i look like a clown wearing too much! My routine will mostly be primer, foundation, blush, pressed powder, mascara, lipstick and now lately using pencil for my eyebrow too!

marlene you look great without wearing too much make up. Love your skin and the aura is so charming. You really found the fountain of youth!

Awww...that's really sweet of you, Angie! I'm still trying to perfect a few techniques which I've learned from YouTube. It'll be good to sort of know the bare essentials. A fashion insider told me that the older we are, the less make up we should have on. Which is good except that I have next to no make up on so I think as I get older, I should incorporate a few bits on my face.

You are lovely with and without makeup. My 3 minute routine is: foundation, pressed powder and lipstick. I used to wear a lot more until I went back to school (I also work full-time and have a family). I may put on eyeliner (and possibly mascara) and blush if I am going "somewhere nice".

The other day a friend asked if I even wear makeup (which made me glad to know my effort was noticed). Oh well!

I've been thinking of doing a makeup post too, but haven't got round to it as I'm still trialling some things. I am trialling a BB cream as I've had lots of irritation from sunscreen so it's a good walking/errands cover up. For casual evenings it's concealer, powder foundation, blush, mascara and clear gloss. For weddings/special events I add some brown & gold eye shadows. I've tried to "do" lipstick but I can't stand the feel, worry about getting it on my teeth and other people's cheeks etc! I like to feel a little polished and even out my freckly Australian skin but still very comfortable. Just the same with my clothes. I think I look worse with heaps of makeup on anyway - when it's been done professionally in my past role, I didn't look like "me" when they piled it on. P.S. You're gorgeous!

You are glowing!I enjoy my five-minute routine and like to look a little polished - usually a swipe of concealer to cover brown spots, black kohl, mascara followed by either red lipstick or liquid liner, blush and tinted lip balm.

Thank you, Ammu! I think I may be sticking to my 5 min routine but I'll definitely incorporate the eyeliner and mascara from now onwards. Took me ages to get it right after watching the youtube video only a million times!

You look SO young and dewy and fresh!!! I'm with you on the make-up-is-scary-movement. I just go with my MAC face powder when I think my face is shinier than the clearest of diamonds. Mascara and blusher. Eyebrow pencil (a must due to being over zealous with tweezers in the past). If I go out, a lippy. I've given up on trying to hide the freckles xoxo

Annie, it takes me less than 15 minutes to cook. As for make up....don't get me started. *muah* You're a sweetheart. Nope, I need some make up. Poor plumber came in a few days ago and I didn't have a scratch of make up. It was NOT a good look.

You look so fresh faced and pretty!! I started wearing more makeup in my late 20s after seeing some pictures of myself and realizing I needed more coverage. My latest fav is Josie Maran foundation. It adjusts to match your skin and doesn't feel as heavy as some other foundation. I also love Makeup Forever products their waterproof aqua eyes eyeliner is the only thing that stays on for me. You're right that it's all a little daunting and confusing. I love the video you linked she makes it look so easy!

I think when it comes to day to day make up, less is more. There is SO much crap (arsenic in eyeliner!) in lots of these products - and that includes all the really expensive names. To cut down on the chemical overload, I have my eyebrows and lashes tinted every couple of months so all I put on each day is some (paraben free) BB cream to even out the complexion, concealer for under eyes and lipliner and gloss from Neal's Yard (no lead). But when going out (very rarely)...I do slap it on, chemicals and all. Once in a blue moon it's ok I reckon.Marlene, you have amazing skin...a bit of BB cream is all you need. You look SO young in that picture...lucky you! xx

Yikes! I had no idea there's arsenic in eyeliner! I have combination skin though so I still get spots. Whaddaya mean?! You've seen me up close on several occasions. I don't look that young. It's just the lighting in this photo.

You look good and your complexion looks great too.I was TOTALLY like you (result of growing up with a mom who doesn't use makeup) and then I had to learn to apply makeup as a bridesmaid a few times. I discovered a wonderful fact - many people really DO look better with makeup! I'm usually lazy and just apply a BB cream and maybe some mineral foundation. But I find that a few key areas (eyes and lips) can really make my whole face pop (in a good way!) Mascara is a must because my eyes open up and even some tinted lip balm makes me look less pale!Anyway, it gets better and you will look awesome.

I'm very bad at makeup and probably will never learn how to do it like some of the YouTube gurus do! I wish my mom had taught me when I was growing up. The very surprising thing for me to learn like CC above was how many people wear foundation to get that perfect skin look - I thought it was all just natural!

Amen, sister! High 5! Those ladies make it look so easy. I'll be honest here. When I was getting ready for this photo, I managed to smash a black eye shadow, spilled it on my light colored carpet. Pfft.... I don't think make up and I are good friends.

I used to be completely clueless about make-up but after discovering the various gurus and their great tutorials on youtube, I feel a bit more confident about buying and using cosmetics. I still don't do anything too complicated, butI consider foundation/BB cream and concealer/powder a definite necessity because my skin tone is very uneven.

By the way, you look amazing and if you struggle with make-up sometimes just take joy in the thought that you look very youthful and fresh, which is miles better than mastering make-up application :)

(also boo at men for daring to look great in their 50s and onwards, whereas when women are that age have to deal with the chaotic effects of deficient hormones >.<)

Lol! It really is a case of practice makes perfect. I can't say I'm top notch, but if you have good quality makeup to work with and colors that work with your skin tone it's retry easy to get it on in under 10 mins. For me? Missa BB cream, cream blush by NYX, powder and mascara plus some lipgloss is all I need to look polished. For the fashion blog shots though, well that's a different thing entirely. Makeup for photography is an art into itself and one I have not mastered.

Aww... I think you look beautiful! I'm really a fan of proper well taken care of skin, which you have.

I learned how to do makeup from the Queen of natural makeup because she has three sons. All of the girls in the neighborhood were always her muses.

I don't think makeup should take any more than 5 minutes (8 tops if I'm being slow). I don't wear concealer or foundation, or BB creams, which always stuns makeup artists when they reach for it and then realize it isn't necessary, because I just don't have anything to conceal. I'm just blessed with very even skin- so I'm all for showing that off. I will do Bobbi Brown eye brightner if I've had a late night, brow sculptor mascara, blush or bronzer depending on the season, and a little lipstick. The natural/no makeup look suits me.

For events that I know will be photographed, I have the Bobbi Brown team do my makeup. I still don't do much, but it's nice to be able to relax, catch up on emails or doze off and not have to worry about it.